Tasmanian Local Government elections: Hobart mayoral candidates put their case
ELEVEN candidates are battling it out to become Lord Mayor of Hobart in the local government election, with polling to close on Tuesday. Need some last-minute intel before you cast your vote? Here's your go-to guide right here.
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THE kunanyi/Mt Wellington cable car, building heights and dealing with the city’s traffic problems are shaping up as the key issues for voters in Hobart's local government poll.
Tourism and affordable housing will also be at the forefront of Hobartians’ minds as they cast their ballot papers.
Hobart’s lord mayor race is expected to be one of the most intense and open in recent memory with no clear favourite emerging.
There are a whopping 11 candidates competing for the top civic job compared to only five who coveted the role at the 2014 local government election.
Overall, there are 36 candidates vying for the 12 council seats, six more than in 2014.
There will be at least three new aldermen at the table with sitting members Philip Cocker and Eva Ruzicka not recontesting their positions and the vacancy left by former lord mayor Sue Hickey at the beginning of the year, to be filled.
Incumbent Lord Mayor Ron Christie, his deputy Peter Sexton and aldermen Marti Zucco, Jeff Briscoe, Anna Reynolds, Damon Thomas, Bill Harvey and Tanya Denison are all vying for the mayoral job.
New contenders are Darren Alexander, Mike Dutta and Robert Mallett.
The Mercury asked each of the mayoral candidates for their top three items they would champion if elected as mayor with a few key themes emerging.
The support or not of the controversial cable car was reiterated by a few candidates.
Mr Mallett said he supported the concept of a cable car.
“This asset can greatly enhance Hobart as a destination, improve the amenity of the mountain and showcase our beautiful city to the world,” he said.
Mr Dutta said he would oppose the cable car because it would be against the wishes of the Aboriginal people, Ald Christie said “no cable car will deface our historic Organ Pipes” while Ald Zucco said he would establish an independent regional planning authority to remove the politics from planning decisions.
Most of the mayor hopefuls highlighted dealing with the city’s traffic woes as one of their top priorities.
Ald Thomas said he would actively lobby the State Government to introduce free peak hour public transport , Ald Reynolds said she would focus on creating an “active walking city”.
Another topical issue is building heights with the council-commissioned heights report by Leigh Woolley out for public consultation with a 60m cap proposed for the centre of the CBD.
Many candidates, including Ald Sexton, Ald Briscoe and Ald Harvey vowed to maintain Hobart’s low-rise heritage streetscape in the face of repeated development applications for “high-rise” hotels.
HERE are the 11 candidates in alphabetical order and in their own words, giving you their reasons to vote for them:
DARREN ALEXANDER
I would work hard to develop a Master Plan for the city — so developers and the general community know exactly where we are going and how we will fund projects.
I will work with the State Government to set in place actions to address our traffic and public transport issues — short term immediate relief and a longer term strategy — what we can do now and what do we need to build to cater for growth. Private Public Partnerships (PPP) work in other States, why not here?
I will focus on attracting major new events to Hobart year round and provide infrastructure and planning to support this — I won’t build a wall to stop tourists from coming nor add a bed tax to visitors.
With a proven track record, I will provide strong commonsense leadership just like I have in my successful business career, not grandstanding or playing politics. Planning decisions will be made on merit not personal or political bias.
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JEFF BRISCOE
I have a deep passion for our city — the greatest small city in the world. I have demonstrated my commitment to preserve this competitive advantage in addressing many of the challenges that have confronted Hobart over the past two decades.
I am about making decisions informed by consultation with the community.
Our city requires strong leadership during the current boom. We need to invest in new infrastructure, using innovative solutions including addressing traffic congestion and parking.
Good local government provides value for rates but at the same time takes care of its communities, roads and the rubbish.
My council will encourage small business and new buildings in our city while maintaining our unique landscape, environment, heritage and streetscape.
The increase in tourism to our city has opened wonderful business and social opportunities. With this increase comes challenges, which my council will address.
My focus will be on the community, business, infrastructure, governance and budget management.
I want to be your next Lord Mayor.
RON CHRISTIE
I was once a supporter of tourism and cruise ships coming to our city. Not any more. I never expected this surge in unsustainable growth and spoke out, only to be told I was out of touch with community. Our community is concerned. We are not opposed to tourism. We want industry and government to listen to our concerns. We are a city that connects to community with a storytelling history. We are the smallest capital in Australia with the biggest heart. It’s not about cash and growth. We will have no skyscrapers, no cable car will deface our historic Organ Pipes and we will enjoy a unique community lifestyle that Australia will envy. I make no promises — only a pledge to maintain a quality of life our community expects. A City that connects with open space. A City for our children.
TANYA DENISON
1. Stronger: sensible management of ratepayers’ funds. I have business experience in managing multimillion-dollar budgets, both as a senior manager and as a business owner. Hobart is better off financially than some other councils, but as we have seen recently, affluence can result in frivolous spending. Instead, council should be focused on reducing rates and providing ratepayers with better essential services. Hobart should not be duplicating the functions of other levels of government.
2. Safer: ensuring everyone feels included. Increasing population is bringing new people into existing neighbourhoods. Council should understand this and foster good community relationships.
3. Smarter: preparing Hobart to be a modern, world class small city. Protecting our residents’ quality of life and diversifying the economy to provide a range of employment, study, recreational and business opportunities. Fixing traffic congestion now by reopening lanes and turning one-way streets back into two-way.
MIKE DUTTA
1. Cable Car: I would oppose the cable car because it will be against the wishes of the aboriginal people, show disrespect to their spiritual beliefs and heritage. It will be environmentally destructive and harm the ecological landscape, will have a huge impact on traffic and adversely affect the residents of South Hobart.
2. Housing issues: Initiate discussion to work collaboratively with all tiers of government, investors, developers and community groups to adopt a holistic approach to solve Hobart’s housing crisis. Introduce better regulation for AirBnB. Offer financial incentives (rates reduction) to investors who will build and rent to low and moderate income households.
3. Amend the General Manager’s Roll: International students should not be eligible to vote as they are not permanent residents. Only permanent residents who do not hold current Citizenship status should be eligible to register on the Manager’s Roll. People who live outside of Hobart municipality but have businesses in Hobart can vote. Residents who live in Hobart Municipality and own business should not have two votes.
BILL HARVEY
As lord mayor of Hobart, I commit to delivering the Hobart Community Vision, written by the community for the community with contributions from over 1100 community members, this vision represents what the community have told us they want for Hobart.
Secondly, I commit to a collaborative leadership approach, working with all aldermen and focusing on council’s strategic plans and objectives, these include: climate change adaptation, transport, zero waste to landfill, housing and homelessness, social inclusion, food security and visitation and population growth strategies.
Thirdly, I commit to protecting the built and natural environment which are fundamental to local values and pillars in the Community Vision. People value human scale and have rejected over development and high-rise. We value the natural environment and biodiversity and want to see it protected. These are values we must adhere to for future generations, especially in an increasingly unsustainable and environmentally degraded world.
ROBERT MALLETT
I’m passionate about small business, increasing the number and quality of jobs and making Hobart a better place for us and our children to live and work.
I support a balanced approach to development which supports both our community and our business sector. I support the concept of a cable car on Mt Wellington for Hobart and for all Tasmania. This asset can greatly enhance Hobart as a destination, improve the amenity of the mountain and showcase our beautiful city to the world. As Tasmania’s capital city we must show leadership and Hobart must be open for business.
Access to the city is vital for both our employees and our customers and for greatest outcomes our traffic issues need to be solved with increased dialogue with neighbouring cities, municipalities and the state government.
I want to lead a cooperative and consultative council dedicated to ensuring that Hobart is a city to be envied.
ANNA REYNOLDS
1. I will be a champion for protecting what makes Hobart city special — pushing for height limits, saving our heritage buildings, setting higher standards for new building design, and looking after our mountain and bushland.
2. I will be the listening and consultative Mayor, bringing people together to lead open discussions about better planning and the big city-shaping developments for our future — such as laws to secure more affordable housing, medium-density housing instead of city car yards, a practical visitor levy to fund tourist facilities, and planning for climate change.
3. I will focus on Hobart as an active, walking city — fixing footpaths, building new pedestrian crossings, running a safe-routes-to-school program to get our kids walking and riding to school. Also upgrading our neighbourhood shopping streets, playgrounds and the tracks to our bushland so that we have great local places to connect with our community and to our natural environment.
PETER SEXTON
As Lord Mayor I will provide sound, innovative and collaborative leadership to encourage continued sustainable economic and social development of Hobart while ensuring Hobart remains one of the best low-rise heritage cities in the world.
Rate increases may be influenced by political processes and I will advocate for an independent economic regulator to cap rate increases and approve any variations, to encourage Councils to become more efficient and innovative in delivering services.
Sound financial management of ratepayer funds will include limits on aldermanic expenditure, especially travel and professional development. I will end the unnecessary post-Council dinners saving ratepayers over $30,000 per annum.
Affordable housing will be addressed through greater regulation of Airbnb and developer contributions for housing.
I will work to restore the dignity of the office of the Lord Mayor and I will refrain from making personal statements which are contrary to Council policy other than during Council debate.
DAMON THOMAS
This election is about Hobart as a transforming city. It’s about creating a sustainable future for the Hobart we love, that respects what makes this place special.
1. I will get Council off page one, back to business and focused on core responsibilities. My immediate priority is to support pensioners to stay in their own homes by increasing rates remissions for 3000 pensioner ratepayers.
2. I will champion the need to increase the supply of affordable housing through private and public sector collaboration and service provider and service user consultation, incorporating the creation of a consumer advisory group with lived experience of rental stress and homelessness.
3. I will prioritise alleviating traffic congestion by actively lobbying the State to follow the example of other Australian capital cities and introduce free peak hour public transport, converting ideas for river ferries into action and developing a light rail service business case.
MARTI ZUCCO
My focus will be on local. Wages have stagnated, the cost of living is increasing, water, power and gas has risen and municipal rates are proving a significant burden on ratepayers. I will pursue a policy of capping rates to CPI as a matter of priority. The Council must operate within its means. If business can deliver efficiencies so should local government.
High-level discussions with the Premier of the day and State Cabinet to work as a team on matters of importance to the City to deliver more productive outcomes such as traffic management issues and the needs of a capital city.
I will strive to ensure aldermanic decisions sit within the discretionary scope of planning and building regulations. There is absolutely no room for politics in council deliberations. I support and will pursue the establishment of an independent regional planning authority to take the politics away from planning decisions.
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